THE TRIAL OF CHOICES

"Do I really have to go?" A human girl of 12, asked her father as she had her hands together. Waiting for a comforting answer from her father, who instead, gave her a sad smile as he placed his hand onto her head one last time.

A military man loyal to the Empire was required to send his love and goodbye to one of his children. "Your mother would want this. Use this opportunity to know her… walk where she did, learn what she learned, embrace what was hers. Don't let fear keep you from greatness… it is your destiny." The last words were the words of his late wife.

It was rather odd for a Sith to speak of fear like that. When fear, vengeance, and anger were the fuel core along with hatred towards the journey to the dark side. He couldn't understand Sith and their ways, for he is only an ordinary man.

An ordinary man who honored his wife became a dutiful husband and loved all of his children greatly. Two of his sons were lost, and all that was left to fulfill his late wife's legacy was his third child, a daughter who was strong with the force since young. It was sad. She couldn't even remember her mother's face.

"Will I be able to see you… and Azal again, father?" A confirmation was needed for the girl as the Sith walked towards them to get the girl. It was time and all he could do was smile as he placed his hand onto the girl's cheek. "What does your heart tell you?"

"Yes," the girl nodded.

"Then we'll see each other again. We'll all be together again soon." He didn't want to say goodbye to his first girl, but to make her strong and to honor his wife – he had to make one of the hardest choices that fathers had to. He lost his boys, at least he was sure that she would be strong and come back to them. Though his fear might come true, that his first girl wouldn't come back the same. She will be a different person if she completely communes with the dark side of the force.

"Hey," he kept smiling as he placed his hands onto her shoulders. The girl looked into his father's eyes, it seemed that he was about to cry. "The next time we see each other… we'll talk about your mother, okay? I promise."

"Captain," the Sith spoke in a harsh tone. The father gave the girl one last kiss on the forehead before he stood up, nodding towards the Sith who came to collect his daughter. "The next time we see each other, you'll be wearing black and red."

The girl smiled. "It was always my color."

"Come now child, your destiny awaits." Said the Sith with a chilling voice that would make any child afraid. The girl turned to her old man and gave him one last hug. Who knows, maybe if this all goes well, he may even serve his daughter at some point.

"I'll come back and make you proud father, I promise." The girl cried. Hugging his first girl back, he couldn't afford to show weakness in front of a Lord Sith. With another nod, the girl went to the Sith Lord and took his hand and headed towards the ship that would eventually send her to Korriban.

She was uneasy. She lost her brothers and now she's being sent away to follow into the footsteps of her mother whose face she can't even remember.

The overseer who took her in sighed and looked at the girl once more. Leena Sern, daughter of the Sith Lord Zylas Sern – being in a powerful bloodline, the children were required to have the mother's surname instead of the fathers. The bloodline and the name had to live on, even though the child wasn't a pureblood Sith, the heritage demanded it especially when Lord Zylas' boys were never found and were presumed dead.

The girls will have to carry out the name and the legacy.

Tremel could sense something great from this child. A human Sith overseer in the Sith Academy and was tasked with selecting worthy acolytes to become Sith themselves. She's young, but she will learn the ways of the force as the Sith should.

After all, she's expected to be as powerful as her mother.

He had to make sure that the trials to the acolytes were difficult and would be enough to prove themselves worthy to join the Sith Order. The strong are to survive and the trials also serve as a purpose to weed out the weak. Perhaps, this girl can be something as promising as her mother was when she was around her age.

And soon, she can be an acolyte worthy of a powerful master.

Three years later, at 15, the girl was once again summoned within the boundaries of Korriban with two training swords strapped behind her back as she made her way down to the ship. Overseer Tremel had to speed up a couple of things for her to fulfill this 'destiny' that she was convinced throughout the years that Tremel has been looking after her – as if he was his own.

"At last, you've arrived." The overseer greeted the girl. "Good, good. There is much to do and every moment is critical."

Leena turned to the two Imperial soldiers that delivered her to the welcoming point to Tremel, with a firm nod she went down the ship. As familiar as she is of Korriban and Sith Academy, she was aware of the basics that have been taught to her. More or less, she remembers that Tremel was a man of strict discipline and always had agendas in mind. Much like any other Sith, he was no different.

"For decades, I've administrated the trials that prove who is and who is not worthy to join the Sith Order. The trials are a chance to weed out the weak. Those who face them either survive and become Sith or die. You should know as much already, Leena."

"Mark my words, overseer." She smiled with confidence. "I am destined to be Sith like my mother before me, and her parents before her.

"It wasn't destiny that brought you here." He answered in a monotone voice as he turned around, with his hands neatly folded behind his back – he wondered what kind of outcomes that will appear with Leena Sern within the planet. The girl followed him of course. "Yes, you are here and ahead of schedule because of me. I expect you to obey.

"When did I not obey?" The girl asked, she was truly obedient but at the same time – mercy still covers her conscience. Something that Sith do not need.

Tremel sighed. "You face your trials, you serve me, and I will make you the most powerful acolyte here."

"Sounds like a plan." She nodded. The girl has been with him and his daughter for three years now, they were basically family but she was on Korriban now. There are no families on this planet, no friends, no allies – who can she trust in a dark world where the Sith can kill?

"The trials themselves are difficult enough, but they are hardly the greatest threat you face, Leena." The overseer warned. "There is an acolyte here named Vemrin. He's your enemy and he will try to kill you. We must prepare you."

Of course, he will try to kill me. She mentally sighed. "I just got here and I already have an enemy?"

"All you need to know is that you are a threat to him, and he to you." That hardly answered her question even. "We'll make sure you can stand up to that threat. Those practice swords you've arrived with is insufficient – the blade of lesser acolytes. You need a dominating weapon."

And here we go… she continued to mentally sigh as she crossed her arms, waiting for the overseer to give the instructions she needed. As he always provides for her to excel faster than his daughter. "In the tomb of Ajunta Pall, there's an old armory. A strong Sith warblade awaits you there. The tomb is thick with k'lor'slugs, savage creatures. Be speedy but careful. They've been the end of many acolytes."

"Then I might have something in common with the beasts." The girl joked around.

But knowing Tremel, he would not have it. "Once you have acquired the warblade. I suggest you spend some time in the tomb bloodying it. Then come to me in my chambers in the Academy. You do remember how to get there?"

"I haven't been here for three years, I must have forgotten." The girl shrugged.

The overseer sighs once more. This girl would be the death of him. "Remember what I have taught you. Trust your instincts."

"What if my instincts can't point me to your chambers?"

"Just find it."

"As you wish, overseer." When the girl gave a small bow, the overseer began to rub his templates as he turned around and began to head back to his chambers. Daughter of Lora Zylas Sern has arrived in the academy, of course, no one has heard that name in years and the generation today isn't much keen on the surname Sern.

But Tremel knows that the dark Lords have an eye for this one once she has proven her worth. Perhaps she could be as strong as her mother, stronger, or the worst-case scenario – weaker. Of course, he didn't believe that she was weaker in comparison to her mother.

Both her brothers were also force sensitive but before the academy could even get their hands on them, they just simply vanished. Until they discovered that they could no longer be found within their home planet. The girl was proven to be a skilled one with the practice swords he gave her years ago.

Each day she trains, the more skilled she has become. He was slowly being convinced that even without the force she would be able to have a massive body count with lightsabers alone. Slaying the beasts with only a practice sword can do some good, but the girl has two – perhaps she might even make a purse out of their skins when she's not too preoccupied.

He waited this long to bring her into the academy as an acolyte and he will make sure he succeeds.

When the girl already got her warblade, she was rather troubled. One warblade and the other a practice sword, problems of a two-handed duelist. Surely, she could survive with this kind of placement.

Though there were times where she would wonder how her mother survived in Sith Academy. Where she started, who were her trainers, who were her master – etc.

When she arrived in the academy, fellow acolytes ignored her presence as she was trying to find Overseer Tremel's chamber. Muscle memory seems to know, she didn't have trouble with the turns and corridors she had to encounter but there was one problem she bumped into.

Two human male acolytes, blocking her way. One spoke out immediately when they saw her. "Hey there, acolyte. Hold on a moment. Let me get a look at you."

Leena didn't know who this was or what he wanted. But looking at her, or basically starring at her – was proven too uncomfortable for her. "Hmm," he let out. "So you're Overseer Tremel's secret weapon, huh? Impressive, to be sure. Afraid the old man waited too long to make his move, though."

The man took her from her father and sister three years ago. Then again, it took him time to officially place her as an acolyte – three long years too late. "I'm Vemrin, and unlike you, I've fought and bled for everything I have. I demand respect."

Respect goes both ways. She thought but at the same time, she didn't want to cause any trouble. The name Sern was one thing but she doubts that people from her generation would even know the name. She needed to take things slow. "This is a big place, Vemrin There's more than enough room here for both of us." Who knows, maybe they'll be friends.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. There's plenty of room for you behind me." Vemrin crossed his arms as he took another good look at Leena.

Cocky bastard. She began to complain. "If Overseer Tremel had made his move a year ago, when I first arrived, you might've had a chance. But now—too little, too late."

Vemrin's companion on the other hand, spoke: "This is ridiculous, Vemrin. Let's just kill her and hide the body."

"We're not on Balmorra anymore, Dolgis. There are rules, traditions. We'll leave the shortcuts to Overseer Tremel and his last pathetic hope here."

"You're not very good with people, are you?" She asked. Hoping that they would not end in bloodshed as the masters in the academy would eventually hope them to be.

"You're not funny. Just pathetic. And you've been warned." Why do boys always have to be this complicated? She thought. She was only a teenager and the two boys in front of her seemed older. A year or probably two years older than her.

She didn't want to fight, why can't they all just get along? "Coming, Dolgis?"

"Be right there." He answered as Vemrin went on ahead, leaving the two other acolytes to their own conversation.

This should be good. She wondered. "Listen to me, you useless priss, Acolytes aren't allowed to murder each other. But accidents happen. It isn't murder without witnesses. No more warnings. Vemrin's the alpha monster here. You go after Vemrin, you die."

When the other acolyte left her alone, she didn't even do anything and yet she already had threats. It was her first day after all. Avoid what is strong and strike what is weak… She sighed as she began to head towards Tremel's chamber. Winning the battle with a little combat is the key to victory after all.

When Leena arrived within the chambers, she noticed that Tremel wasn't alone. Before she could even greet him and his guest – he already noticed her. "Good. You've returned. You seem to be in one peace. Tell me, how do you like your new blade?"

"I suppose this is sufficient, Overseer."

The older girl beside him, on the other hand, was familiar to Leena. "What are you doing, father? I only just got my warblade, and I've been here for 6-months."

"Nice to see you too Eskella." Leena greeted the older girl who she has treated as a sister. But Eskella wasn't at all happy with her father. "I have my reasons, Eskella. And you will not breathe a word of this to anyone. Do you hear?"

"Yes." She couldn't help but just agree to her father and complain no longer. "Leena, naturally you remember my daughter. She's one of the advanced students here. On her way to becoming Sith… if, she minds herself."

"I'll keep quiet about your new charge, Father. But you're just dragging Leena into something that will just blow up in your face." Eskella barked and walked out of the room. Leena wasn't so sure if she had a place to speak within the conversation between an actual father and his daughter.

"Don't mind her, Leena. She's just sore that I'm keeping secrets. She growls but you know she's loyal." Of course, he would praise his daughter even with something like this. "Now, I thought I heard Vemrin's voice in the adjacent chamber before you arrived. Did he make his move so soon?"

"He just introduced himself to me." Truth and no lies, but it wasn't everything.

"If he did not attack, he must not fully comprehend the threat you represent. Good. Good." He encouraged. "Remember what I taught you before, Leena."

She nodded and recited. "If he is arrogant, pretend to be weak. If he is relaxed, attack and gives him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If you know the enemy and yourself, you don't need to fear the outcome of a thousand battles."

"Still, I'd hope we'd have more time. Vermin's not the type to sniff around for too long before trying to take the bite." He warned the girl land she nodded in obedience. He still needed to break that innocence off of her scent and sheer energy before she could even be Sith. "In a drive for sheer numbers, the criteria for Academy admittance has been relaxed. Now anyone with Force sensitivity is allowed entrance. Vemrin is mixed blood. The invisible rot earing at the foundation of the Empire. He must not be allowed to advance."

"And you think a half-blood such as myself can be enough to stop him?" Leena asked out of curiosity. Tremel gave the usual answer that she has been hearing for three years from his mouth. "You are your mother's daughter… Vemrin has caught the eye of Darth Baras. One of the most influential Sith Lords. He's being groomed to be Bara's new apprentice. As Darth Bara's apprentice, the power at Vemrin's fingertips will be considerable. He could change the Sith for the worst."

"You must proceed to your next trial immediately. I want you to interrogate three prisoners in the Academy jails and decide their fates." He continued to give out the instructions to her next trial. "Remember Leena, consider each criminal's story carefully. The decisions you make will be scrutinized, so let your passion guide your judgment."

"You always told me to trust my instincts…" Leena blurt out. Reminding him of those words.

"It's time you leave your childish tendencies behind and embrace your future, for you will be Sith. Like your ancestors before you, you will continue the Sern legacy, do you understand me? No room for mercy, no room for kindness."

She nodded, "I will handle it."

"Go to the Academy prison. Speak to head jailer Knash and return to be after you've passed judgment on the prisoners.' He continued to instruct. The Sern legacy, she hasn't really given thought about it for years, not to mention – she didn't even know the family legacy well.

She lacked the mentor to make her understand.